This application relates to a belt handrail drive for an escalator wherein the pressure rollers are mounted to the drive housing at both axial ends, with a centrally located spring.
Escalators typically have a handrail that is driven by drive rollers through a drive belt. To hold the handrail in good frictional contact with the drive belt, pressure rollers are typically mounted on an opposed side of the handrail from the drive belt and spring biased against the handrail.
In the prior art, the pressure rollers have typically been cantilever mounted. Further, the spring for biasing the pressure roller against the handrail has been mounted outwardly of the roller axial length, at the end of a housing at which the pressure rollers are mounted. The spring has typically been mounted beneath the handrail, to bias the roller upwardly. The pressure rollers are typically mounted in a plate which pivots relative to a drive housing. Since the spring is outwardly of the axial length of the roller, additional width is required. Further, since the spring is not centered on the roller, the force applied by the pressure roller is not equal along the length of the roller.
In the past, the rollers have sometimes tilted along an axis due to the position of the spring. Further, unequal pressure along the width of the roller has sometimes resulted in uneven wear of the rollers and handrail.